21. September 2011

30 Things About My Invisible Illness

The illness I live with is: Diabetes mellitus type 1. (I cannot stress this enough. It's just so annoying when people, especially doctors, mix it up with type 2.)

I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1994.

But I had symptoms since: I didn't even notice my symptoms, my mom did.

The biggest adjustment I've had to make is: Not being able to eat everything at every time.

Most people assume: That everything is about the physical part (as opposed to the psychological).

The hardest part about mornings are: Getting up. But that's nothing to do with the D.

My favorite medical TV show is: I don't have a TV.

A gadget I couldn't live without is: My meter.

The hardest part about nights are: Not knowing if you assessed every possible influence on your bloodsugar correctly and will make it through the night without going low.

Each day I take _ pills & vitamins: 1.

Regarding alternative treatments: For diabetes? I don't think so. Other than that: If it works for you, it's fine, I haven't really tried it yet.

If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: The invisible one. I like it that I can choose who knows about my D and that I can choose the time to reveal it.

Regarding working and career: I can't be an astronaut ever. This sucks. It also seems that you cannot work with a pump at an MRT which equally sucks. Other than that there is not much of a connection between those topics.

People would be surprised to know: How much time I spend thinking about D (i.e. how much time the D takes because you are forced to calculate carbs and stuff plus all of the emotional crap).

The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: That it is forever.

Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: I was brought up with the conviction that I can do everything, so I never really thought there was anything I couldn't do (other than becoming an astronaut or surviving on an island Robinson Crusoe-style).

The commercials about my illness: Usually don't cater to me but type 2's. They annoy me when they lump together type 1 and 2's.

Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: Not thinking about it (especially about how much I'm eating).

It was really hard to have to give up: See 18.

A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: All of my hobbies except reading, which I already loved when I was nine: dancing, crafting, singing, ...

If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: See 18. Maybe I would get really drunk, because I never dared to do that.

My illness has taught me: Coenesthesia. (German readers: That is not Zönästesie, but Körpergefühl.)

One thing people say that gets under my skin is: I could never do that. Really? Think again. (Of course you get that when you inject via syringes much more than when using a pump.) But often it's more their attitude than what they are actually saying.

But I love it when people: Help, when help is needed, without too many questions. Are interested but without sensationalism; try to learn rather than to teach me or to get their prejudices/smattering confirmed.

My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: You cannot predict everything. Some things are just happening. Don't try to persuade fate. (It varies depending on the occasion, but this is often the baseline.)

When someone is diagnosed I'd like to tell them: It's overwhelming at first, but life goes on. You can do this.

Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: That after 16 years, it still is a lot of up and down - always swinging between routine and trouble. That might not sound surprising, but I wasn't anticipating it.

The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn't feeling well was: Surprising me with their attention.

I'm involved with Invisible Illness Week because: Everybody else is and my pricked fingers itched to take part. I'm also new to the blogosphere so it might be interesting for my potential/future/hypothetical readers to know stuff like this about me.

The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Wondering what it means to you.

I imagine that my answers to this questions vary with my feelings about diabetes a lot. And my feelings do vary a lot as well. Also there are of course a lot more questions needed to give you even an idea of what goes on in a PWD's (or PWotherinvisibledisease's) mind.